SELECTIONS

;;Jamie Foxx With three new Grammy nominations under his belt, including one for best male R&B album, it looks like actor Jamie Foxx's bid to become a respected recording artist has been accepted. If only the portrayal of his R&B heartthrob role were more convincing. His singing's all right, but not incredibly moving or original; it's imitative, almost like he's still singing his old In Living Color parodies. Buoyed by a host of big-name guest artists, though, his new album, Unpredictable (which is very predictable), is at least listenable, and this headlining tour shows he definitely can do his thing live. (with Fantasia; 8 p.m. at Amway Arena; $38.75-$68.75; 407-849-2001; www.orlandocentroplex.com)

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;;Chocolate: Food of the Gods and Lovers People are always trying to put chocolate where it ;doesn't belong (deep-fried Snickers bar?), but the latest installment of the 1st Thursdays program at Orlando Museum of Art might be crazy enough to work. "Chocolate: Food of the Gods and Lovers" showcases sugar highs of photography, sculpture and acrylic, all inspired by — if not crafted from — you guessed it, chocolate. We're keeping our eyes peeled and palms open for the installation in which the ambitious (or the nimble) get the chance to grab a candy bar or 10. Also on the bill is Pathway to the Gods, a documentary tracing chocolate's velvety history from the ancient Americas to today. Samples provided by Global Chocolate Market and Café are such a tease, but music by Rick Birkbeck and Friends should keep the feel-goods flowing long after the last bite. As always, there's open access to the museum's galleries, where the Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt exhibit just opened. (6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Orlando Museum of Art; $9; 407- 896-4231; www.omart.org)

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;Friday•2

;Sick of It All Say what you will about the somewhat predictable affair that an SOIA live show has become — old-schoolers "training" youngsters in the fine art of pit-swirling, lots of bulging brain veins onstage — this institution deserves their legendary status. Twenty-two years straight with the same lineup? There are exactly zero other punk bands that can claim that, much less any that can claim to still deliver the goods in the same assaultive fashion that they did a decade (or two) ago. (with Vietnom, the New Threat; 8 p.m. at the Social; $13-$15; all ages; 407-246-1419; www.thesocial.org)

;;Vietnamese New Year Festival As Vietnamese tradition goes, the days before the first day in the lunar new year are spent cleaning and painting the home in preparation for a fresh start. Then it's time to celebrate. (Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet, actually starts on Feb. 18 this year, though celebrations are held for weeks before and after; 2007 is the Year of the Pig.) But there's no need to fully embrace the culture. Just show up for the Vietnamese New Year party that's in its 15th year here in Orlando and has spread into two full days of traditional food, games, music and shows. The way it's organized, there's a free festival Saturday and Sunday, with a fancy $45 per ticket affair Saturday night that'll feature music, comedy, dancing and other displays of contemporary culture. Plenty of activities for the kids and lots of music and food are the main ingredients for the everyone-;welcome festival. (9 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Central Florida Fairgrounds; free; 407-296-3261; www.gxvnorlando.org)

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;Mr. Lif Sole torchbearer of the hip-hop concept album — and sometimes of the Def Jux supergroup the Perceptionists — Mr. Lif has had one of those years that makes you want to hit the road and tell people about it. His latest album, the euphoric Mo Mega, set critics aflurry and did surprising sales. Then his world flipped upside down — literally. On tour with the Coup (2006's other great indie rappers), their shared tour bus turned over and burst into flames around Christmastime. All miraculously survived, but Lif watched as a good portion of his life crinkled into dust. Lucky for us, Lif's pain tends to translate into El-P–backed bangers you can pound your fist to — intelligently — and now he's pulling a phoenix act, just a few weeks removed from some serious devastation. Clear the aisles and tape up the windows. (with the Abs, X:144 & SPS; 9 p.m. at the Social; $12; 407-246-1419; www.thesocial.org)

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;Kiss the Sky: The Music and Culture of the 1960s Perhaps you've reached that certain age when the kids start asking you about the hippie heyday or the life and times of Jimi and Janis, like you must have been there. Perhaps you were but a gleam in your old man's eye in the revolutionary '60s or just dawdling around in diapers — cloth ones, mind you — to the harmonies of the Mamas and the Papas. Or maybe you're one of the true trippers who started every day with a tab of orange sunshine. In any case, you'll benefit from this refresher course in 1960s culture via the photographs of Henry Diltz, who'll be on hand at the opening of his exhibition at the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach. The opening event kicks off a four-month schedule of special events to accompany the stills, including films (Woodstock, Feb. 14; Don't Look Back, Feb. 21) and lectures (Diltz and Michael Walker, March 3; David Farber, March 14). (6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach; free; 386-506-4475; www.smponline.org)

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;Brigan Gresh, Paintings Like most artists, Brigan Gresh prefers not to be slotted into one artistic niche. Her previous series of paintings have been created with different colors and styles reflecting her changing inspirations, from her childhood to her own physiology. Finding Her, Gresh's newest collection, commemorates the life and legacy of her mother, Mary Leslie Gresh, who recently lost a battle with terminal cancer. Far from being dark and gloomy, each work portrays memorable aspects of her muse, who was also a painter. Most of the visual tributes comprise abstract botanical imagery, a fresh exploration for Gresh derived from her mom's studies in watercolor botanicals. The younger painter's canvases are gently modern with a subtle, peculiar symbolism. (7 p.m. at Stardust Video and Coffee; free; 407-623-3393; lot1433.com)

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;Sunday•4

;;Polluted Youth A dirty-faced, high-speed, spit-on-your-girlfriend three-piece punk band that, were they not from Orlando, would probably be your favorite band to kick your brother's ass to. As it is, we feel it's our mission to inform you of the fact that this city's seedy rock underbelly refuses to be marginalized. Even in a local punk lineup this strong, you'd be selling yourself short if you didn't get there in time to catch this force of nature and throw a few beers at 'em. (with Hex Tremors, Fashion Fashion & the Image Boys, Jeanie & the Tits, Racin for Pinks; 6 p.m. at the Social; $6; all ages; 407-246-1419; thesocial.org)